German 500

The German 500 was put on the schedule for the 2001 CART season and it was the first CART race ever to be held in Europe.{{cite web|last=Wade|first=Stephen|date=September 14, 2001|title=CART re-names race 'The American Memorial'|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cart-re-names-race-the-american-memorial-1.263866|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105121927/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2001/09/14/cart010914.html|archive-date=November 5, 2012|access-date=September 12, 2009|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation}} It was the beginning of a two-week European stretch for the series; the Rockingham 500 was held at Rockingham Motor Speedway in Corby, England one week later.{{cite news|last=Wade|first=Stephen|title=CART branches out: 70,000 expected to attend German 500|work=The Spokesman-Review|agency=Associated Press|date=September 13, 2001|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XjcSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dPIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3930,1007347|page=C2|access-date=September 13, 2009}}

The September 11 attacks occurred four days before the race, causing most major American sporting events scheduled on the same weekend as the German 500 to be postponed, including National Football League and Major League Baseball games and a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race, the New Hampshire 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.{{cite journal|title=For The Record: A summary of how the sports world responded to the Sept. 11 tragedy|journal=Sports Illustrated|date=September 24, 2001|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1023748/index.htm|access-date=November 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025085504/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1023748/index.htm|archive-date=October 25, 2012|url-status=dead}} The Italian Grand Prix, a Formula One race, was held that weekend. According to Ronald Richards, the vice president of CART, the series decided to continue with the race prior to the cancellation of that week's NFL games, a decision followed by other American leagues. Richards acknowledged that "We wish we would have had the input regarding the NFL's decision prior to making our decision." In remembrance of the September 11 attacks' victims, and in a desire to avoid criticism for holding the German 500 so soon afterward, CART changed the race's name to the American Memorial.{{cite news|last=Wade|first=Stephen|title=CART renames race 'The American Memorial'|work=USA Today|publisher=Gannett Company|date=September 14, 2001|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/motor/cart/2001-09-14-american-memorial.htm|access-date=December 19, 2015}} The series also held tributes on the day of the race,{{cite web|title=CART To Offer Tributes|publisher=Championship Auto Racing Teams|date=September 13, 2001|url=http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=1833|access-date=September 14, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030403231645/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=1833|archive-date=April 3, 2003}} and made a $500,000 donation to the World Trade Center Relief Fund, matching the event's prize fund.{{cite web|title=CART Community, Drivers To Provide Aid To WTC Relief Fund|publisher=Championship Auto Racing Teams|date=September 15, 2001|url=http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=1865|access-date=September 14, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030404020348/http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=1865|archive-date=April 4, 2003}} The race was won by Kenny Bräck but was marred by a crash involving Alex Tagliani and Alex Zanardi.

In 2002, the German 500 was originally scheduled for September 21st but was cancelled after EuroSpeedway filed for insolvency.{{cite web|title=CART's German 500 canceled|publisher=CNN Sports Illustrated|agency=Associated Press|date=July 16, 2002|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/motorsports/news/2002/07/16/cart_germany_ap/|access-date=November 16, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040824223246/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/motorsports/news/2002/07/16/cart_germany_ap/|archive-date=August 24, 2004}}

In 2003, the race returned and so did Alex Zanardi, who drove a specially adapted car prior to the race, doing 13 laps to represent those that he did not complete in 2001.{{cite news|last=Wade|first=Stephen|title=Zanardi finishes his 13 laps after 20-month 'pit-stop'|work=USA Today|agency=Associated Press|date=May 11, 2003|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/motor/cart/2003-05-11-zanardi_x.htm|access-date=December 19, 2015}} Sébastien Bourdais won the race but CART dropped EuroSpeedway Lausitz after the 2003 CART season.

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Category:Champ Car races